Heart To Steely Heart
by Snodin
Summary: Set in the "Megaman Zero" Series, rated for mild language. Zero is a loner, and is happy that way. Someone ought to tell that to Cyber-Elf X.


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**HEART TO STEELY HEART**

**Snodin**

**Set in between "Megaman Zero" 1 and 2**

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In the barren desert beyond civilization, the newly reborn Reploid Zero wandered aimlessly. With the recent threat of Neo Arcadia defeated, its leader Copy X destroyed, Zero no longer felt the need to stay with the humans and Reploids he had protected. Hungry for more action and battles, he wandered far from his familiar surroundings until he came to this sand-covered wasteland.

The wind picked up, tugging at his brown tattered cloak, a meager shield for his new body from the burning sands. The howls of the wind were his only company, but in them he found a sense of peace. He was actually happy here, surrounded by nothingness and near silence. Here, for the first time since his awakening, he felt content.

But then he stopped. Something hummed in the back of his brain; a presence. He knew this presence, it came to him more than once before. All at once, his demeanor went from peaceful to somber. His eyes narrowed as he glanced at the ghostly figure floating behind him.

"What are you doing here?"

Darn. He was hoping he wouldn't get caught; being a ghostly Cyber-Elf now, X only wanted to act as a spiritual overseer for as long as it made Zero comfortable. But now his cover was blown; it was time to fess up._"I go where I'm needed."_

"So why aren't you somewhere like the rebel base, or some Reploid town?"

"_You look like you could use some company."_

"Well, I don't. I prefer to be alone, in fact."

Zero resumed his long and laboring walk, as the wind began to sweep the sand in the opposite direction as his march. Grasping onto his cloak, the Reploid began to slow his gait and pause until the winds died down. When they finally did, he resumed his march until he realized that he was still being stalked by that same damn ghost.

"Stop following me!"

"_You used to like it when I tagged along on your adventures,"_ replied the softly-spoken X.

"That was a long time ago, and I was a different Reploid then."

"_I see... It's just as I had feared," _the spirit frowned._ "I remember when they took your interior database and put it in this new model as a means of keeping you alive. I had hoped that you would have kept your old personality as well... but it seems you're lacking in the emotion department."_

Zero's eyes narrowed. "I don't ever recall being emotional."

"_And therein lies the problem, my friend: you don't know how to connect with anyone like you used to... You used to be so much friendlier, Zero- at least to your closest friends."_

"And now they're all dead. Except for you, apparently."

"_Is that why you choose to be so distant? Does the idea of losing a dear friend scare you?"_

"I know nothing of fear. And even if I did, that has nothing to do with why I prefer solitude." He took a few more steps, when he heard his ghostly companion mutter something that made his eyes flash in fury.

"_...Is it Ciel?"_

"What?"

"_Does she remind you of someone you once cared deeply for? Is that why you only come to her aid when she desperately needs you?"_

His patience worn, Zero whipped around to face the blue ghost head to head, balling his fists in frustration. "What do you know about it, ghost? Who are you to lecture me about my personal feelings towards a human?"

"_She misses you. I know, because I've visited her at times and all she could talk about is you. She cares for you, and she's not the only one; all of the humans back in her base are worried about you. You might not understand it, but they consider themselves your friends."_

"Humans... they have no control over their emotions. That's the difference between me and them; I'm always in control, and that's why I'm so good at what I do."

"_Which is, fighting for their survival, as well as the survival of Reploids. But that's what intrigues me, Zero; how is it that you're so adamant in protecting them when you never give yourself the chance to know them?"_

"I was born to fight for them. It's my programming, my destiny, and I accept it. That's all."

"_...I miss the old you. At least _he _wasn't afraid to feel alive once in a while."_

"I DON'T CARE WHO I WAS!" His sudden outburst caused the ghost to float back in surprise. Fueled by this fury, Zero went on to rant, "I have no interest in who I was or who you were, I'm only focused on the here and now! You're the one haunted by the past, not me! You want to do me a favor? Haunt someone else, and LEAVE. ME. ALONE."

His mouth gaped, X was truly heartbroken by Zero's words. Yet he understood his friend completely, and just to show his respect, the ghostly figure bowed his head in defeat and withered into thin air.

Finally, he was all alone again. Zero took a deep breath and continued on his way.

Huh. That was new: Rage. Anger. Frustration. He really didn't think he had it in him until just then, and he was almost relieved to know it was true. But now he was truly alone, just as he wanted. The anger subsided, and he felt at peace again... well, except for that one small twinge of regret.

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Hours passed, the sun was creeping toward the West to welcome the twilight hour. The air was turning cold, even for a Reploid it was chilly. Zero buried his arms inside his cloak as night began to fall. But still he marched on, in search of someone or something to do battle with. Combat was his only drive in life, it seemed; combat was what he was built for. It was his constant, his calling.

And yet, he could no longer hide from the small pain that had been nagging in his chest, the pain that he began to feel ever since he first met that Cyber-Elf. That same pain was only growing, soon after he pushed that ghostly figure away. Why, he wondered? Why would he treat a trusted ally like that? Was it really necessary? Was he really just a hollow shell inside? The more he thought about it, the more his chest began to hurt.

The night air was much colder now, much more foreboding. He looked up to the sky, and saw nary a star. It was as if even they felt unworthy of his company. He frowned; he was truly alone now, but he didn't favor it so much as before.

"...X? …...X, are you still there?"

Silence. Not even a murmur of wind to fill his ears.

But that's what he wanted, wasn't it? Didn't the silence all around him feel peaceful? ...Somehow, it just didn't feel the same anymore. Something was missing. _He_ was missing. Zero's heart sank.

"...X, if you're still there... I'm sorry... And, you can tag along if you want."

Again, nothingness. He sighed deeply. Sorrowfully.

As Zero trekked through the night and into the morning, he felt a warm aura on his back as the sun crept up behind him in the East. But it wasn't just the sun trailing behind; something else was there, an old familiar presence. Zero recognized this presence, he had felt it several times by now. And for once, he smiled.

The two of them wandered the desert together for hours on end, hardly saying a word, but just glad enough to be in each other's company.

"_Just like old times," _the ghost whispered with a smile.

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**END**


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